American tax dollars at work: Bankrolling Palestinian terror

There are two pillars that continue to hold aloft terrorist activity as an attractive proposition for Palestinian Arabs, and to keep the practice of murdering Jews far more of a mainstream affair than a fringe phenomenon.

The first is the cultural glorification of those Palestinians who have murdered Jews, or who have died trying. This is especially prevalent among Palestinian children, who are used to having their schools, soccer teams and summer camps named after such "heroes."

The second is the knowledge that if one survives carrying out a terrorist attack, there will be few, if any, serious consequences, and many rewards. The most obvious reward is that the killer or would-be killer will be hailed as a champion of his or her people. Perhaps even more compelling, at least for some, is that the terrorist and his or her family will suddenly come into what amounts to a financialy windfall in this region.

The maintainence of these two pillars, and therefore of the Palestinian terrorism industry, is made possible in large part by American taxpayers.

On Tuesday, Itamar Marcus of Palestinian Media Watch explained to US congressional leaders how financial aid from America, Israel's greatest ally, is being cynically used to encourage the slaughter of Israeli Jews.

Marcus first outlined what most should know by now - that the Palestinian Authority spends a huge amount of money honoring terrorists in the most public fashion. But he also highlighted for the lawmakers a fact that most media outlets choose to ignore - that the Palestinian Authority pays a generous monthly salary to nearly all of the Palestinian terrorists sitting in Israeli jails, and provides many of their families with financial support.

All of these activities - the glorification of terror and the financial backing of the terrorists themselves - are funded by the PA's general budget.

And all of this costs a lot of money, especially paying the salaries of terrorist prisoners, which comes to $5.2 million EVERY MONTH.

As such, these expenses are heavily dependent on incoming foreign aid.

The Palestinian Authority receives roughly $1.5 billion in foreign aid every year. The US contributes about $200-$300 million in direct budget assistance, and another $400 million in various other forms of assistance and investment.

Marcus reminded his congressional hosts that it is a violation of US federal law to provide financial assistance to a terrorist or terror-supporting entity.

But Marcus was largely preaching to the choir.

A week earlier, congressional leaders had put forward a bill that would end US financial aid to Pakistan, Lebanon, Egypt, Yemen and the Palestinian Authority unless they met a list of stringent requirements.

In the case of Lebanon, Congress insists that the terrorist militia Hizballah cannot hold positions of political power. Hizballah currently dominates the Lebanese cabinet.

As far as the Palestinians are concerned, Congress wants them to immediately cease all of the nefarious activities Marcus outlined.

Fully aware that these nations are never going to meet these conditions - in other words, are never going to stop supporting terrorism - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lashed out at Congress.

The new bill "would be debilitating to my efforts to carry out a considered foreign policy and diplomacy, and to use foreign assistance strategically to that end," Clinton wrote in a letter to congressional leaders.

Years ago, when she was a humble senator from New York, Clinton stood beside Marcus as he presented a worrying analysis of the anti-Jewish Palestinian school curriculum. Clinton staunchly supported Marcus and demanded reform in the Palestinian education system.

It would seem she no longer holds to those convictions.

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